Importance of Criminal Background Checks
WHO – Anybody applying for a position of employment, volunteer services or in special instances such as the purchase of a firearm, acquisition of a business partner, hiring of contractors, nannies, CPAs, lawyers, etc.
WHAT – Depending on the position and circumstance, the applicants entire criminal record can be searched, including data bases that include federal, state, local, county, sanctions/terrorist/prohibited parties and sex offender records. Common time frames include a 7 year, 10 year and lifetime search. Here are a few examples of databases and departments that are commonly searched:
County Criminal
Federal Criminal
State-Wide Searches
Terrorist Watch Lists
Sanctions Lists
Prohibited Parties Lists
Federal Civil
Sex Offender
Healthcare Bans
WHEN – Criminal background checks are typically performed when an offer of employment or volunteer position is made, when applying for a firearm license, when hiring a contractor or on a continual basis at the discretion of certain employers.
WHERE – With Stellar Background Checks, these searches can be conducted from any where in the world with a laptop, desktop or mobile device.
WHY – Criminal background checks are performed to asses whether or not the applicant will be a good fit for the position, contribute to a safe working environment or if you qualify for the purchase of a firearm.
HOW – Disclosure and consent must be obtained in cases of employment. Then, the applicable criminal databases are searched along with federal, state and local jurisdictions.
Safety, to existing employees and the company, is the number one reason employers perform a criminal background check. Establishing whether or not an employee has a criminal history is a fundamental step in determining the risk of hiring that person. While not every offense instantly disqualifies an applicant from employment, knowing about them allows you to make an informed decision, based on your company’s policies, procedures, state and federal regulations/laws. Here are a few examples of common issues that employers often find in a report:
Felonies or violent crimes
Misdemeanors
Theft/burglaries
Reckless behavior
Pending litigation
Judgements
The results of a criminal background check can be used to evaluate the applicability of the candidate with the position’s roles, duties, responsibilities and other facets such as exposure to company assets/liabilities, important customers/contacts and other privileged information.